Electrical receptacle



April 4, 1939. H. HUBBELL, JR

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1936 y INVENTORATTORNEYS April 4, 1939. I H. HUBBELL, JR

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACL'E Filed Jan. 50, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 F6915 1159.77 Fzyz; 72g 21 iz zz jZ Z2 Ill/9'16 Fig. 1a Fjyza E 22 F6974 7INVENTOR Wk 179W ATTO R N EYS Patented Apr. 4,1939

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

provements in electrical receptacles or connectors.

An object of the invention is to provide an 5 electrical receptacle orconnector adapted to 7 take or receive a wide variety of blade contacts.Another object is to provide a receptacle or connector as indicated inthe preceding paragraph wherein provision is made for locking cer- 10tain types of blade contacts against casual withdrawal from thereceptacle 'or connector. I

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with the 15accompanying drawings wherein satisfactory embodiments of the inventionare shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly insection as indicated by the line 2- in Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially along the plane ofthe line 3-3- oi Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle of Fig. l but with partsbroken away toshow *9 interior construction; Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail sectional view taken substantially along the line E-d of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view taken as though looking from the right in Fig.5; as Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan view of a receptacle contact and insection showing a curved blade contact in engagement with the receptaclecontact;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing 59 one of a pair ofparallel blade contacts in engagement with a receptacle contact;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a receptacle contact and showing in section aparallel blade contact 56 in engagement therewith;

This invention relates to new and useful im- Fig. 10 is a sectional viewtaken substantially along the plane of the line Iii-l of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a modified construction of receptacle apart being broken away to show contact construction;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theplane of the line |2-l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a detail view showing a curved blade contact in engagementwith a contact of the receptacle of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line "-14 ofFig. 13; Figs. 15 through 24 are detail views showing various forms ofattachment plug cap contact 15 blades.

Referring in detail to the drawings and at first particularly to Figs.15 through 24, at ill in Figs. 15 and 16 there is shown a portion oi.

a standard attachment plug cap having parallel contact blades H providedin the usual manner with holes or openings l2. Figs. 17 and 18 show aportion l3 of a plug cap including transversely curved contact blades l4and Ila also provided with openings iii. The lower portions of theseblades are laterally expanded providing portions It the upper edges llof which are straight across. It is also noted that one of the blades asblade Ma is expanded toward one side as shown at idb so that it is widerthan the other blade so the cap is polarized, and if desired theopposite side or edge may be inclined as at It.

Figs. 19 and 20 show a cap portion is carrying contact blades 20 eachincluding a wing or plate-like extension 2i arranged angularly withrelation to the vertical or main body portion of its blade. This type ofblade is more or less special and in this specification and in theannexed claims is referred to as an angular contact blade. In Figs. 21and 22 there is shown a portion 22 of a cap including aligned or tandemcontact blades 23 each as usual provided with an opening 26. It is notedthat the blades 23 while flat as in the case of the blades ll arearranged at right angles to the blades ii. Figs. 23 and 24 show aportion 25 of a cap including T-shaped contact blades 2511 havingopenings 24c therein and blades 25a are in effect a combination of theparallel and aligned blades above referred to. The caps of Figs. 15, 16and Figs. 21 and 22 are standard caps, while the others were originallydesigned for use with special receptacles.

Referring now to Figs. 1 through 10, at 2B is shown the insulating bodyof a double or du- 55 plex receptacle. This is shown merely by way ofexample as the invention is equally adaptable to a single receptacle.Within the body adjacent each of its ends are pairs of recesses 27 and28 separated by partitions 28. Contacts 88 are arranged in the recesses21 while similar contacts 3| are arranged in the recesses 28. A mountingstrap 32 of conducting material has the contacts 38 mounted thereonwhile a similar strap 33 mounts the contacts 8|. Screws 34 pass throughthe straps 82 and 33 and the body 28 and plates 35 at the front side ofthe body and serve to secure the straps in place and function in likemanner for the plates 35 which carry binding post 88 as shown.

The recesses 21 and 28 open through the rea of the body 28 and after thecontacts 38 and 8| are in place a sheet 31' of insulating material ispositioned to cover the straps 32 and 33 and to close the inner ends ofthe recesses. Such sheet is guided by pins.38 passing through the sheetand the sheet is held in place by a separable screw fastener 39 (seeFig. 3) passing through the sheet, a receptable mounting strap 48, andthe receptacle body 28.

As here shown the receptacle body 28 includes an integral front wall 4|.However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tosuch a construction as the body may include a removable front covermember having contact blade entrance slots therein.

In its front wall 4| the receptacle is provided with slots 42 and 43leading into the recesses 21 and 28 respectively and it-is noted thatthe slots are so arranged that one slot 42 and one slot 43 togetherconstitute a pair. Each of the mentionedslots includes a curved portion44 and a short branch 45 entering the curved portion through the convexside thereof. These slots comprise entrance openings for the insertionof contact blades into engagement with the contacts 38 and 3| within thereceptacle.

Thecurved portions 44 of a pair of slots are so located relatively andare of such length as to permit of the insertion through them of plugcap blades which are parallel, curved'or angular as shown in Figs. 15through 20. Branches 45 of the slots are so located as to provide forthe insertion of aligned plug cap blades shown in Figs. 21 and 22, andsuch branches together with the adjacent parts of the curved portions ofthe slots provide for the insertion of the T-shaped contact blades shownin Figs. 23 and 24. It will 1 therefore be apparent that the slotsconstructed as shown are adapted to take a variety of blades in additionto the blades of the standard caps of Figs. 15 and 16, and Figs. 21 and22.

The contacts 38 and 3| are of the same construction but when mounted inthe body are reversed with respect to one another, and it is thoughtthat-a detailed description of one will be sufllcient for both. Takingcontact 38 as an example and referring particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7it is seen that the contact comprises a loop including a pair of arms 48and 41 connected by a portion 48 and having their upper portions 49 and58 extending in opposed or parallel relation whereby to receive acontact blade between them. On their inner edges the portions 49 and 58carry curved wings and 52 respectively. These.

wings are preferably struck from the'same center and extend away fromone another as most clearly shown in Fig. '7.

Each receptacle contact also includes an arm 83 having a portion 84extending between the arms 48 and 41 and disposed on thebefore mentionedconnecting portion 48. A rivet 58 secures the arm 53 to the connectingportion 48 and secures both parts of the contact to the carrying bar 32.The upper portion 88 of arm 53 is laterally extended and is curved, andas shown best in Fig. '7 is arranged opposite the wings 5| and 52 andparticularly the latter, although as shown it extends to overlap both ofthem and thus extends across the gap between them.

The curved contact part 58 is spaced from the wings 8| and 52 therebyproviding a curved space for the reception of a blade contact. Bothportions of the receptacle contact are of spring metal so that aninserted blade will be yieldingly engaged by both of the portions 49 and58 or the portion 58 and either or both of the wings 5| and 82,depending on the shape of the inserted blade. Curved contact portion 58carries a lug or protuberance 51,, which as shown in Fig. is lanced andpressed therefrom, extending in the direction of the wing 5|. For areason later to be described such lug has rounded sides, but its loweredge 58 is substantially straight across forming a shoulder.

The contact containing recesses in the body 28 are larger than the slotsleading into them so that portions of the front wall 4| of the body formledges or shoulders 59 beyond the ends of the slots. This constructionenters into the locking of the curved and angular type of contact bladesin the receptacle, in engagement with the contacts therein, whereby toprevent casual with drawal of such blades from the receptacle as willlater be fully set forth.

When using the receptacle with a cap having curved blades the latter areinserted through the curved portions 34 of the entrance slots and enterbetween the contact portion 58 and the wings BI and 52 (see Figs. 5, 6and 7). Thereafter on turning the cap on the receptacle the. extensionst8 of the blade 64 are shifted to dispose their upper edges or shouldersI! under the shoulders or ledges 59 at the underside of the front wallof the receptacle body so that to withdraw the blades from thereceptacle body it is necessary to turn the cap back in the oppositedirection to align its blades with the entrance slots and then draw theblades out of the receptacle. 'llhe curved portions of the slots arelonger than the width of the upper portion of the blade contacts (0,Fig. 17, or 28a, Fig. '19) so as to permit this relative turningmovement between the cap and the receptacle and to permit the bladecontacts to slide relative to the receptacle contacts as shown by thedotted and full line positions of Fig. '7. The dotted position shows theposition of the blades when inserted into the receptacle and before theturning movement, while the full line position is the position they takeafter the turning movement and which is the locked position.

In unlocking them they are turned back to the dotted position from whichthey may be withdrawn from the receptacle by pulling straight-out on thecap.

I Also as shown in Fig. 7 when the blades are in the locked positionsjust described the lugs 51 enter the openings l5 in the blades. Sincethesides of the lugs are rounded the blades when being turned may engageand cam the lugs and portions 58 outwardly so that the blades may passin either direction laterally of thelugs. However, the lower edges 58 ofthe lugs'are straight across or abrupt and any attempt to pull theblades out will be resisted by the lower edges of the lugs engaging thelower walls of the holes in the blades.

A parallel blade cap may be connected with the receptacleby insertingits blades into the curved portions 44 of the entrance slots eithermidway the ends of such portions or toward either end thereof. It theblades are inserted in the dotted position of Fig. 9 and then the capturned on the receptacle to shift the blades to the full line positionof Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the lugs 57 will enter the holes l2 of the parallelblades to secure them in the receptacle. Turning movement of the cap inthe opposite direction will shift the blade to the dotted line positionof Fig. 9 and the blades may then be drawn out of the receptacle, theblade in each case having a camming action on the curved or inclinedside walls of the lug 5'! to push it laterally to permit thesemovements. The curved portions 64 of the entrance slots are wider thanthe contact blades to permit this movement. These straight blades of thestandard cap may be forced directly into the locked position but inordinary operation as they are inserted into the slots the curved wallsof the lugs 5i tend to direct them to one side or to the unlockedposition shown. in dotted lines and if it is desired to lock them thecap is then given the turning movement.

A cap having the angular blades 26 may also be used with the receptacle26, and after such angular blades are inserted through the curvedportions of the slots the cap may be turned to carry the wing-likeextensions 2i of the blades under the shoulder 59 of the overhangingfront wall of the receptacle to secure or look the blades in thereceptacle as in the case of the blades It of cap 53.

The receptacle having the slots 42 and 43 will also take the alignedblades 23 and the T-shaped blades 25a. The aligned blades enter throughthe branches 55 of the slots and pass between and into engagement withthe contact portions :39 and 5D. In like manner the aligned portions ofthe T-shaped blades enter the branches 35 of the slots and between theportions 39 and of the receptacle contacts, while the parallel portionsof such blades enter the curved slot portions M at the juncture of thebranches therewith and engage portions tit, 52 and of the receptaclecontacts.

With reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the curved portion ofslot 62 is somewhat longer than the corresponding portion of slot 63.Likewise in Figs. 17 and 18 the expanded portion Mb of one blade Ma islarger than that of the other as previously stated. In this waypolarization may be effected as the wider blade lab cannot be insertedin the shorter slot 53.

Referring to the modification of Figs. 11 through 14, at 66 is shown theinsulating body of a single receptacle. Said body is provided withspaced recesses 6i within which are located contacts 62 mounted onstraps 63 secured by screws 65 of which one engages 2. lug 6F: carryinga binding post 66. The contacts are passed into the recesses through theinner ends thereof, and in the front wall of the body are a pair ofslots 6? leading to the respective contacts 62.

Each slot 67 includes a main or elongated portion 68, bent intermediateits ends so as to include angularly related parts, and a branch 69enters the portion 68 but is directed outwardly thereof. The contacts 62each include a metal strip bent to provide an intermediate connectingportion 10 and upwardly or outwardly directed arms H and 12 having theirupper or outer end portions turned in and providing blade contactengaging portions 13 and I4.

An arm 15 (Fig. 13) has a portion against the connecting portion I0above mentioned and a rivet 16 passing through said portions and thestrap 63 secures them together and to the strap. Arm "includes anupwardly or outwardly extending portion 'l'l the end of which isinturned providing a spring contact blade engaging portion 18 arrangedopposite the inner edges of the portions 13 and 14.

From one vertical edge of the portion 18 a wing-like portion or member19 extends in angular relation to said portion. It is noted in Fig. 14that the angular relationship between portion 18 and the wing 19corresponds to the angular relationship between the parts of theelongated slot portion 68.

The contacts 62 are so arranged within the body that the space betweenthe contact portions l3 and l t aligns'with the branches 69 of theentrance slots while the portions l8 and the wing 19 are located inalignment with the angular portions 68 of the slot to be engaged byblade contacts inserted through this angular portion 58 of the slots. Asshown best in Fig. 12 contact portion 13 has a small portion or bump 80pressed therefrom and extending toward the portion M.

In the use of the receptacle parallel blades it may. be inserted througheither part of the angular slot portion 68 either to engage the wings 69of the respective contacts or to engage the contact portions 78 togetherwith the portions I3 and W. The curved blades M may be inserted toengage the contact portions 13, M, 18 and 19 as shown best in Fig. 14and after such blades are inserted the cap may be turned on thereceptacle to bring the upper edges ll of the blade extensions I6 underthe front wall of the receptacle body to lock the blade against casualremoval from the receptacle, the angular portions $8 being of sumcientlygreater length than the width of the upper portions of the blades topermit this.

Also the angular blades 26 may be inserted through the angular slotportions 68 to engage all of the contact portions '33, it, 78 and 59.After insertion of the blades 20 cap it may be turned on the receptacleto bring the upper edges of the blade extensions 2i under the front Wallof the receptacle to lock the cap and receptacle together, as the slotsare of greater length than the width of the upper portion of theseblades.

The aligned blades 23 may be inserted through the branches 69 of theslots and when so inserted enter between and are engaged by the contactportions 73 and it. When such blades 23 are in the receptacle the lugsor bumps 80 on the portions '13 enter the openings Ed in the blades. TheT-shaped blades 25a are inserted as shown in Fig. 12 and their alignedportions function as the aligned blades 23 while their parallel portionsfunction as do the parallel blades it.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electrical receptacle comprising an in arranged to coact withaligned contact blades inserted through the said lateral portions 0! theslots and also laterally yieldable curved portions to coact with any oneof parallel, curved and angular attachment cap contact blades insertedthrough the crooked portions of the slots, said curved portions of thecontacts being provided with lugs having inclined sides and a shoulderto engage a side of an opening in the blade contacts to lock the bladesagainst casual separation from the contacts, and said crooked portionsof the slots being 01 suflicient length to permit sliding movement ofthe blades on the contacts on relative turning movement of the cap andreceptacle and by camming action on the sides of the lugs to remove saidshoulders from the blades to unlock them.

2. An electrical receptacle comprising an insulating body, contactswithin the body, said body having a pair of spaced contactblade-entrance slots leading to said contacts, said slots eachcomprising a curved portion and a straight amass? through the curvedportions of the slots, said 7 curved portions of the contacts beingprovided with lugs having inclined sides and a. shoulder to engage aside of an opening in the blade contacts to lock the blades againstcasual separation from the contacts, and said curved portions oi theslots being of sumcient length to permit sliding movement of the bladeson the curved portion or the contacts on relative turning movement ofthe cap and receptacle and by camming action on the sides of the lugs toremove said shoulders from the blade openings.

HARVEY HUBBEL'L, 5h.

